


Montressor Sonata

by girl_in_blue_dress



Category: Disney - All Media Types, Disney Cartoons (Classic), Peter Pan & Related Fandoms, Peter Pan (1953), Peter Pan (2003), Treasure Planet (2002)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Peter Pan Fusion, Alternate Universe - Treasure Planet Fusion, Crossover, Crossover Pairings, Crossovers & Fandom Fusions, Disney, Disney Movies, Disney Parody, Disney References, F/M, Falling In Love, Friendship/Love, Growing Up, Inspired by Disney, Inspired by Treasure Planet (2002), Jim Has Issues, Love Triangles, Memory Loss, Neverland (Peter Pan), Original Character(s), Peter Pan References, Rape Recovery, Step-Brothers, Step-parents, Step-siblings
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-18
Updated: 2020-10-01
Packaged: 2021-03-05 05:22:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,008
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25369075
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/girl_in_blue_dress/pseuds/girl_in_blue_dress
Summary: Since Jim's return from Treasure Planet, everything is going smoothly for the Hawkins family.  Jim is enrolled at the Interstellar Academy, and Sarah has rebuilt the Benbow and re-married to a wealthy business tycoon.  Just when things are looking up, their lives are turned upside down once the government gives the family a task to watch over a lost human girl who was found in the middle of nowhere on Montressor, and they cannot figure out where she came from.  Sarah and her new husband agree to take this girl in to learn more about humans from other worlds, and she and Jim start to grow close as brother and sister would.  But, does it have potential to be more than that?  Meanwhile, Jim's new stepfather has secrets and plans hidden up his sleeve, including an arranged marriage for Jim.
Relationships: Jim Hawkins/Wendy Darling/OC
Comments: 2
Kudos: 4





	1. A Most Unusual Task

It had been a year since Jim Hawkins returned home from the destruction of Treasure Planet, no longer the sullen boy who flew solar surfers in restricted areas. The homecoming was the start of many changes for the Hawkins family. Jim enrolled at the Interstellar Academy, and Sarah Hawkins was able to rebuild the Benbow and earn back her income once more. Not soon after its remodel, she married a wealthy businessman from the aristocratic class, who helped finance a plan to promote the Benbow Inn to what is now called the Grand Benbow Hotel. The re-marriage meant that Jim now had a stepfather, whom he had yet to really warm up to, since Jim was away at school, but once he returned for the summer, their relationship would start to grow from there. It was relatively smooth sailing from then on. It was as if all their troubles had faded away.

But on one Thursday morning, the Montressor Department of Childcare Services had phoned Sarah, asking her to come in for an interview. Without giving away too many details, they summarized the situation as such, “We’d like you to meet a human girl we’ve found.” Her interest piqued, Sarah had to restrain herself from asking further questions, for the agent wished to continue the conversation in person. Pulling off her Benbow attire and putting on her smartest dress, Sarah rode down to the city via carriage. 

Humans were rare on Montressor. The Hawkins were among just a few hundred or so left, the reason being that many humans centuries ago fled Montressor for other unknown pastures. Occasionally, humans still migrated from Montressor, but it was extremely rare to find humans importing themselves to here. Thus, to be called to meet a human, perhaps because the Department wanted to conduct a study, intrigued Sarah.

Upon her arrival, the receptionist greeted her and told her she’d meet a certain Mr. Connell, the Head of the Department. A elephant-like creature with a long nose and tusk came out very quickly, soon as Sarah made herself comfortable in the waiting away. “Ah, Mrs. Hawkins! How are you?” He greeted her cheerfully, extending out his hand. 

Sarah shook it, raising her eyebrow. He seemed very familiar. “Very well, sir. Have we met before?”

Mr. Connell gave a stiff nod. “We have, briefly! Not too long ago, you were here when one of our agents asked you to discuss Jim’s potential admission into juvenile hall.” 

“Oh.” Sarah rolled her eyes. Who could forget those days when she was being stretched thin by the Benbow and Jim’s crimes, as a single mother? “I’m guessing that’s not the case for this visit, right? Jim’s been doing much better.”

“So I heard! I read all about Jim’s adventure in the paper and heard he’s at the Academy now. Certainly a rare case where a juvenile delinquent does a complete 180!”

“Well…” Sarah’s words trailed off. She didn’t appreciate the use of this oddly cheerful tone when he spoke of Jim’s dark days so lightly.

“Anyhow, Mrs. Hawkins, that is hardly the case. I’m here to discuss a very interesting matter with you. Follow me.” He held open a door with a sign that said “No Visitors Beyond this Point” and gestured to Sarah to go before him.

“Your agent was very vague when she called me to invite me here. Would you tell me more about this girl who has been found?” Sarah asked. They walked down a dimly lit hallway filled with nurses running around fulfilling errands. Who would want to work in this environment, with no sunlight, just dark, grim halls like those research labs? They came upon another door, an office door, that had Connell’s name inscribed on a plaque.

“Do make yourself comfortable, Mrs. Hawkins.” Connell sat at his desk and invited Sarah to sit opposite of him. “Yes, I asked her purposely to keep it short and sweet. She’s not qualified to give that sort of information out, and I was too busy to phone you to invite you here myself.”

“Uh huh.” Sarah muttered dismissively. She just wanted him to get to the point. 

“So Mrs. Hawkins, before I start with the girl, I have a couple of questions. It’ll save us all time if I ask these first.” His nose extended to grab a pen while his hands rested on some paperwork. “How comfortable would you be, to have a guest stay with you for a while?”

Taken aback by this question, Sarah didn’t know how to answer this question, fearing where it will lead to. “Well, I beg your pardon, Mr. Connell, I don’t know anything about this ‘guest’ you speak of to make any decision about a guest staying with me. And besides, it won’t just be my decision, but my husband’s as well.”

Mr. Connell’s eyes widened with delight. “You’re re-married?” 

Sarah nodded. “Yes, just six months ago.”

Mr. Connell jollily nodded his head. “Well, congratulations, Mrs….?” 

“Oh, you may still call me Mrs. Hawkins. I haven’t changed my name yet.”

“Very well, Mrs. Hawkins.” Mr. Connell stroked his tusk. “Let me re-phrase the question. Do you have the capacity to handle a guest in your accommodation?” 

What was she, some kind of hotel, a foster home? “Well, if I still lived at the Benbow Inn, I’d have a couple of extra rooms, but we’ve since moved out since I re-married.”

Mr. Connell took his glasses off, and started to polish them. “What about your son? He’s off at the academy? Surely, you could put a guest in his room?”

“If Jim were on school term, yes, but he returns home next week once the term is over. We may be able to use one of the extra rooms in my husband’s estate, but I’d like to inform him about the matter first. That’s a new thing I’m learning about being in another marriage – having to make decisions with someone else from now on.”

“I see. Well, what about just for two weeks, and we’ll follow up from there what to do next?” He turned some paperwork over to Sarah, and gestured to her to read the fine print.

“You’ll cover the expenses… to watch over this girl, as part of a study?” Sarah couldn’t believe that she, off all those in Montressor was picked for this assignment. “What do you want from this girl? Why can’t you just send her back home?” She was about to stand up from her seat hostilely to throw the papers back to him.

But Mr. Connell continued to remain calm, as if he expected Sarah would see the peculiarity of this proposal. “There’s a problem, Mrs. Hawkins. We don’t know where she’s from. We know she’s not from Montressor or any of our neighboring planets. But what we do know is that she’s human, and the Montressor Department of Human Research would like to investigate further into her behaviors and actions. Perhaps, it’ll give us some clues as to where other humans are living, and tell us more about life beyond our galaxy.”

The proposal started to make sense to Sarah, but she was still not comfortable undertaking a government-sponsored project. There was still too much uncertainty revolving around the nature of this girl, that how can anyone feel safe letting in this strange girl into her house? “Why did you pick me, Mr. Connell?”

“Ah.” Mr. Connell nodded. “Well, to start, we want to house her in a human family’s home. Perhaps, she will start to open up more with people who look like her.” He pointed to his own, elephant-resembling face. “I can tell you, she won’t open up to someone as strange looking as me,” he said with a hint of jest in his tone.

“I understand that, sir, but why was I chosen, among hundreds of other human families?”

“Well, Mrs. Hawkins, the Department of Human Research reasoned that if you had the ability to nurture your son, despite his criminal tendencies, who came home a prodigy, then surely you must be able to exercise the motherly touch needed to dig inside the heart of a sad, lost, human girl.”

Sarah did not appreciate the constant reference to her son being a criminal. She did not need their sympathy for all the struggles she accepted with raising Jim as a single mother. Despite the comment, her heart sank at the realization that there a lost, scared creature in need of a home. “What else do you know about her, sir?”

“Well, if it makes you feel better, Mrs. Hawkins, we believe she came from a well-to-do home before we discovered her. She was found wearing a silk blue nightgown, which was rather worn out, probably because of what she went through, but her hair was very nicely cut and tidy. Surely, not what you would expect of a girl living in poverty.”

To Sarah’s relief, at least the girl did not live her life scrounging for food in the wild. Her heart sank deeper, knowing that, from what they could guess, she was probably yearning for her family and home. “Pardon me, sir, but what did she go through?”

“Well, it would be unethical to hide any pertinent information from you.” Mr. Connell took off his glasses once more. “We decided to do a physical examination for her, and we found that her lower body regions were heavily scarred and bloodied. Bruises were all over her upper body.”

Cupping her mouth, Sarah gasped. Tears started to well up.

“She was raped repeatedly,” Mr. Connell spoke solemnly. “We think for these reasons, she’s unable to say a word.” He placed his hands on the desk, and grasped them together, as if to prepare for failure. “Now, I understand if you choose not to undertake this on behalf of the Department. But I assure you, if you choose to, we will do our best efforts to ensure your protection and safety.”

Nearly choking on her tears, Sarah spoke, “May I see her? Does she welcome visitors?”

“You may see her from a distance, but we won’t ask you to get close to her for now.” He stood up from his chair, then opened the door for Sarah. “Let’s go have a look, shall we?” 


	2. The Lost Girl

She was called the Lost Girl. The institute had yet to find out her real name, so she was currently dubbed the Lost Girl until she would be able to one day say her name. 

The wretched image of the Lost Girl, hugging herself against a white wall, would forever be etched in Sarah’s memory. Sarah had entered a dark room with a one-way mirror to the Lost Girl’s cell, so while Mr. Connell and Sarah would observe the girl, she wouldn’t be able to notice she was being watched.

“She’s never slept on the bed that’s provided for her. And she won’t eat when one of our nurses comes in to get her to eat.” Mr. Connell explained to Sarah.

“You mean, she hasn’t eaten at all?” Sarah asked, incredulously.

“She’ll eat when no one is around. I suspect that’s only when her stomach tells her too,” Mr. Connell responded. “She’s lost a great deal of weight upon her arrival.” 

One of the nurses entered the Lost Girl’s quarters, whose entrance seemed to have startled her. The Lost Girl shivered, shielding away her eyes as the nurse, who resembled a toad, came forward to set down some snacks. Once the nurse shut the door and left, the Lost Girl stopped shivering. “She’s clearly afraid of our staff,” Mr. Connell pointed out.

“Well, how does she act around other humans?” Sarah asked.

“We’ve had a few human visitors, but they chose not to get too close, and they left with a bad feeling about the girl, or they just didn’t want to take responsibility.” Mr. Connell turned to face Sarah. “That’s why we really hope you’ll have the heart to take her in.”

It was no wonder that a family would hesitate to welcome the poor creature into her homes. The Lost Girl’s poor face was plagued by deep, dark circles that she no longer resembled a “young pre-teen or teenage girl” that Connell had estimated her to be. Her skin was pale and cracking, and whenever she extended her limbs, one could see only the curves of her bones. Her movements were rigid and eerie, the thread of life having escaped from her limbs. A very horrific, skeletal image of a girl, a step or two away from death. The longer Sarah stared at this poor soul, the more she wanted to give the girl a soft touch on her face to provide some warmth. “That’s truly a shame no one will give her a chance. You’d think someone would have a heart big enough to do that.”

“We need you to make a decision soon, Mrs. Hawkins,” Mr. Connell urged. “When do you think you can let us know, after discussing with your husband?”

“Oh, I will discuss with him tonight, and inform you in the morning about my answer,” Sarah promised. “Poor thing. I’ll do what I can to make some room in our home for her. It’s rather difficult, when you’ve just re-married and trying to rebuild your life around this person, to take on a child when the two of you may not be ready to take on that new challenge.”

“Of course, Mrs. Hawkins.” Mr. Connell gave her a re-assuring nod. “Take all the time you need, and don’t hesitate to call in the morning if you have any more questions or if you need more time to think about it.”

The carriage ride’s return to the new Hawkins’ home went by lightning fast. Sarah neglected her surroundings, and instead spent the entire journey contemplating what to say to her husband.

His name was William Carnegie, one of the few hundred humans, and one of the Montressor’s most prominent business tycoons. A real estate, tech, and mining investor, he was a self-made man who amassed his wealth from his various venture capital projects. With a career spanning over twenty years, Will never married, nor had children. 

The unexpected couple first met when he stopped at the Benbow, and personally asked Sarah to wait on him. Humbled that a business tycoon would choose to eat at a mom-and-pop shop such as the Benbow, Sarah went through great lengths to ensure his stay was pleasant. He stayed until closing time, and remained in the restaurant until Sarah was finished cleaning for the day. Normally, she wouldn’t let guests linger, but she didn’t have the heart to ask a business tycoon to leave. Once she finished, the two spent the next couple hours exchanging information about themselves. 

Despite his large wealth, William believed it was important to always keep a good head on his shoulders, and always practiced mindfulness to keep a humble attitude. He had told Sarah he admired her resilience in supporting her family through all the difficult times, and that there weren’t many single mothers out there who were able to balance time as both a financer and a mother. He praised Sarah for how she was able to raise and nurture the technical prodigy in Jim, whom he also gave just as much praise to. Extremely taken by his compliments, the single mother, who never really gave much thought to a second chance at love due to her busy schedule, decided that, with Jim gone and more time to herself, perhaps she needed to let herself live. And so, Sarah opened up her heart to Mr. Carnegie, who courted her for three months before he proposed, and they married a month later in a lavish ceremony. 

Sadly, William only spent time with Jim a handful of times, whenever Jim was home for the weekend, and all William ever asked about was Jim’s adventure to Treasure Planet. Jim never really developed a strong opinion about William, but when Jim noticed how much happier and more alive Sarah was, and that William agreed to help Sarah pay off the debts she had acquired over the years, he gave his mother his blessing of the marriage. The reality was, Jim never devoted a lot of time to thinking about how having a new father would change his life, as he was too pre-occupied with adjusting his life to fit in at the Interstellar Academy. He still called William by his first name, having never actually warmed up to the idea of calling him ‘father’.

Arriving at the Carnegie estate, their new home, Sarah immediately requested that the cooks prepare steak for dinner. She planned to fill her husband’s empty stomach with a hearty meal before she would bring up the subject about the Lost Girl.

“Good evening, my love.” William made his usual suave entrance after retiring for the day. He greeted Sarah with a kiss on the cheek. “Welcome back, Mr. Carnegie.” She led him into the dining hall where his meal was waiting for him. “Darling, why the rush for dinner?” William asked, bewildered. “I asked the cook to prepare your favorite tonight, dear.”

William gasped with delight as he saw the steaming steak dressed up so delicately on a plate. Before sitting down, he looked at Sarah with a teasing look. “Are you asking for a favor, soon-to-be Mrs. Carnegie?” Sarah chuckled, pushing him to shit down. “Honey, nothing ever comes for free. Yes, I do have something to ask about, but let’s enjoy dinner first.” 

They spent the next hour savoring the steak, as Mr. Carnegie went on and on about a a new venture capital project he was thinking of investing in. In between, he kept raving about how well he steak was cooked. But soon as he asked the waiter to take away the plates, Mr. Carnegie changed the subject. “So, my love, what was it you wanted to entice me into after this steak?” He raised a wine glass and started twirling it.

“Oh! Wow, so eager to know…” Sarah chuckled, struggling to gather the words to open the discussion. “Well, honey, the most interesting thing happened today. I was called to the Montressor Department of Childcare Services today.”

William stopped twirling his glass. “You don’t say? Was it about Jim?” he asked.

“No, honey… the department called asking if we’d consider this task. It’s quite heavy.” Sarah gulped, shifting her hands, and refusing to make eye contact with William, whose interest had piqued that he wouldn’t take his eyes off of Sarah. “Go on.”

“So, the department has made the most interesting discovery… a human girl.”

William snorted at this. “So? A human girl? It’s not like there’s none of them here on Montressor!” he laughed.

“That’s not all of it, dear,” Sarah interjected. “She’s not from here, and they’d like to know where she came from, but the problem is, she won’t say a word.”

“A mute, perhaps?”

“Hopefully, that’s not the case,” Sarah said. “She’s been through quite a lot. The head of the department said she was a rape victim.” Suddenly, William’s face dropped to a sullen frown. “Oh, how horrible. The poor thing.” He set his wine further away from him. “So, what do they want us to do?”

“Well, honey, the department really wants to temporarily re-home her with another human family. There's a lot of mystery surrounding this girl, seeing as we don’t know much about other humans out there, and we’d be helping the Department of Human Research as well. They’re funding this adoption, and they’ve asked quite a few human families already, but they’ve all shot down the idea. And I thought, what a poor thing, I’d love to open up our home to her if we can, as long as it’s not too much of an inconvenience for us.”

“An inconvenience? Why do you think that?” William asked with great interest in what she had to say.

“I mean, William, we just got married. I’ve known you for less than a year. Don’t you think we have to focus more on learning and growing together as husband and wife?”

“But Sarah, this child may be what we need to test our marriage, to bring out the best in us,” William reasoned. “I agree to this task. I believe it’ll be one of the best things to ever happen to us!” he said with great enthusiasm. 

“You really think so?” Sarah asked. “But, honey, you’re so busy with all of your venture capital clients, do you really want to devote time to being a new father?”

“Sarah, I’ll make the time for it. This child will be my new project. I’m more than just money, Sarah; I want to be a father as well.” The couple had never really discussed raising children together, as Sarah was beyond her child-bearing years, and William was simply just too busy to seem to want to take on fatherhood. “To be honest, I thought you’d want to give it some thought. I didn’t think you’d agree to it so quickly,” Sarah mentioned.

“Sarah, I’ve given so much thought about being a father already. I can’t tell you how much I’m excited to also be Jim’s father.” William had been counting down the days until Jim would move back for the summer, that he had laid out all his plans and calendars to set aside quality father and son time with him. He reached out across the table to grab Sarah’s hands. “When I married you, I felt like the luckiest man alive. Not only because I married you, but because my dream of becoming a father had finally come true. So long I had craved to have children of my own, that to marry you and take Jim as my son, is an enormous gift.”

Sarah smirked, relishing in William’s corny persuasion. “Alright, love, I’ll give the department a call tomorrow, telling them we’ll bring the girl home.” Sarah waved over the waiter, asking him to clear the table. The couple got up from their seat, and retired up to the master bedroom for the day. “I’d like to buy the girl a welcome home present. What do you say, a new dress, perhaps? Young girls love new dresses,” William mused.

Sarah chuckled. “I haven’t thought all that much about what to dress her in. I’m starting to think more about what kind of food I’d like to prepare for her.” This was how Sarah and William differed greatly – whereas William loved to give material gifts, Sarah preferred to warm the heart with a nice bowl of hot food.

And so, they ended the day, their first night as expecting parents.


	3. A New Family

Together, the Carnegie couple took the express carriage to the Department of Childcare Services. William carried in his lap a large box containing the new dress he had bought to welcome her into the family. 

“Mr. and Mrs. Carnegie!” Mr. Connell greeted them with utmost enthusiasm once the couple checked in at the lobby. “I can’t tell you how much I’ve been anticipating this day since we found the Lost Girl.”

“Pleased to meet you, sir,” Will stuck out his hand to shake. “I’m a little jealous that Sarah got to meet her already, but I am most looking forward to meeting this creature.” This comment irked Sarah, as meeting a sickly girl who needed nurture and care was nothing to be jealous over. But, William had his quirks, and Sarah had to learn to accept them very quickly.

Mr. Connell showed no reaction to this. He led the two back through the dark hallways and back into his office. “I just need you to sign some paperwork before we go in and get her.” He handed a few stacks of papers over to the couple. “This basically just explains you’ve read and reviewed the agreement, and that you assume all responsibility over the safety and well-being of our subject. In addition, there’s a liability form in there; it assumes we take no responsibility for any harm the Lost Girl may cause you.” William eagerly signed them without caring to flip through the pages, but Sarah took some time to skim through the paragraphs before signing them. She kindly requested a signed copy to take home with them. “Shall we go in?”

Mr. Connell took them back to the quarters of the Lost Girl, where William laid eyes on her for the first time. “Oh, how horrid she looks!” An aghast William exclaimed, which was quickly followed by immediate elation. He shook the box and winked at Sarah. “Good thing I brought this along. She’ll leave this dingy place with elegance and grace!”

This was going to be the first time the Lost Girl would have human visitors. While William looked enthusiastically ready to greet their new child, Sarah, however, could feel her heart race because of nerves. They had just signed the documents that would forever change their lives, and yet, why didn’t she feel more thrilled about this as her husband? Were they both truly ready for the changes that would come with bringing home the troubled Lost Girl? She took a deep breath after Connell unlatched the door into her quarters.

They could hear the gasp of the Lost Girl as the two new parents entered. She stared at them with blue eyes wide open, wearing an exhaustion emphasized by heavy eyebags. As Sarah slowly drew closer, she could see that the brightest thing about this girl was her eyes. As pale and sickly as her overall appearance looked, Sarah could see the glimmer in her eyes offered a sense of hope in the girl’s spirit. She offered out a hand for the girl to shake. “My name is Sarah, your new mother.” The girl wouldn’t take her bright blue eyes off of Sarah’s until the new mother reached out a hand. She didn’t shake it as Sarah hoped she would, but instead she stuck out a finger and gently ran it along Sarah’s hand. It was as if she was re-acquainting with human skin once again. 

“Pardon me,” William interrupted the moment between new mother and child. He opened the box containing the dress. “A gift, from your new parents.” He lifted up the dress to reveal a silk white dress adorned with several lace trimmings. “Do you like it?” He offered the Lost Girl a warm smile, one that always softened Sarah’s heart. 

The girl reached out for the dress, running her hands along the soft silk. But she didn’t smile. She still wore a look of bewilderment to see two strangers who were suddenly her new parents. 

“It’s alright, don’t be afraid.” William reached out a hand toward her face, but the girl screamed. “ _Aggghhhhh_!” Sarah and William immediately withdrew back, the latter throwing the dress box violently across the room out of horror that it hit the wall. The girl now laid on the floor, curled up like a new born baby, her hands now covering her face. They could hear her soft sobbing.

“Well, that’s a change.” Connell said. He too seemed incredibly shaken but what had just happened. “That was the most we’ve ever heard from her. Perhaps, she is not a mute, as we originally thought.”

“What do you think this could mean? Will she talk eventually?” Sarah asked, exchanging glances with the girl and Connell.

“Well, in my experience in dealing with young children who are victims of abuse, they sometimes withhold their words out of fear, and will only relinquish their hold on them once they can achieve some level of trust.” Connell took off his glasses, appearing to ponder something very deeply. “Now, the screaming, it’s possible she was triggered by the dress, and Mr. Carnegie reaching out to touch her, thus forcing her to relive a very horrible memory. I assume you brought up that small detail about the girl with your husband, Sarah?”

“I did, Connell,” Sarah confirmed. It only made sense, that the horrible, enduring rape the girl had to deal would manifest itself in the girl’s erratic behavior. “We should have been more sensitive about this, William. Perhaps, give her some time to spend away from you.” 

But William looked disappointed at this suggestion. “Sweetheart, she needs a father’s love. And I’m not like any of those thugs who raped her,” William pleaded, but Sarah would not have it. “William, we don’t know who or what kind of person did this to her, but we have to do whatever we can to bring her home and begin a peaceful transition into this new chapter.” She used both her hands to grasp onto William’s wrists. “She needs to feel safe and secure in our home, before she can truly warm up to you as a daughter.” William nodded, seeming to have understood his wife’s reasoning. “You’re right, Sarah. I’ll back off for now.”

The couple glanced back at the girl who was still curled up on the floor. Leaving William, Sarah walked closer to the girl, and knelt down to where the girl could meet her new mother at eye level. She reached out a hand to pat her head gently, causing the girl to jolt up and reveal her red, teary face, shooting her blue eyes directly at William. “Sweetheart, its alright,” Sarah whispered to the girl, using her two hands to rub the sides of the girl’s head, while keeping her face a few inches away from the girl’s. “It’s going to be alright.” She could hear the heartbeat of the girl start to decrease as the bewildered look also began to fade into blankness. Sarah’s motherly comfort was working its magic. Then, to her surprise, the girl rested her head right above Sarah’s breast.

This was the joy of motherhood – to see a child yearn for a mother’s warmth and love. Sarah continued to stroke the girl’s head affectionately, as small, happy tears rolled down her face. 

“How beautiful,” William gasped at the wonderful sight of new mother and daughter embracing for the first time.

This was going to be the new normal, and although it started out with some rough patches, the instant love Sarah harbored for this poor child felt so powerful that the new mother knew it could overcome whatever obstacles would come their way.

“Not quite what I expected, but very endearing nonetheless,” humored Connell.


	4. Siblinghood

Finally, his last day of the spring semester at the Interstellar Academy was here. And that could only mean one thing: summer break!

Once he finished his final exam, Jim rushed back to his dorm and hastily scraped together all his belongings, most of it his dirty laundry, that he needed to bring back to his new home at the Carnegie estate. He wasn’t nearly that excited about having to embrace his new stepfather, and he missed coming home to the Benbow, but right now, the only thing on his mind was that he was elated to not have to attend classes for three months. He could go home and laze around or tinker in his shop all day. It was the perfect set up.

Grabbing the last of his laundry and his solar surfer, Jim exited the dorm without looking back. Though he had insisted on surfing back home, his stepfather insisted on his private chauffeur ushering Jim back to the Carnegie estate in style. Jim was put off by William wanting to show off his wealth, but let his stepfather indulge in this unnecessary luxury. His ride was already waiting for him when he stepped outside the dorm. “Mr. Jim Hawkins, your carriage awaits,” the chauffeur warmly greeted Jim and gestured to him to enter the polished carriage. “Thanks, man,” Jim curtly answered, rushing into the carriage and throwing his sack on the floor immediately. “Anything I can do to make your journey comfortable?” the chauffeur offered. “Nah, I’m good. I don’t need much. Just take me back,” Jim replied without putting much effort into a more thoughtful response. 

Sitting back, he pulled out his mobile device to send a message to his mother. _On my way home,_ he wrote.

_Wonderful! We’re so excited to have you home. And we have someone we’d like you to meet._

Jim’s eyes widened at this. Say what?! A new person in the house? He was already not excited about having to live under the same roof as his stepfather, and yet, there was someone else he had to deal with on top of that? Jim groaned. _Tell me more._

_It’s a surprise. See you soon, honey._

“Hey man, how long will the journey take?” Jim asked his driver. “About an hour, sir,” he promptly responded. “Sit back and relax, Mr. Hawkins. We’ll be home before you know.” Jim didn’t have a problem with that at all. He made himself comfortable in the rather large carriage space, and dozed off.

* * *

The carriage came to a sharp halt, disturbing Jim’s slumber. He groaned now that he knew he was home and would have to put on the fake “I’m so glad to have you as my new stepfather” act with William. After stepping out of the carriage, he grabbed his sack and surfer but the chauffeur insisted that the servants would take care of it. “No thanks, I got it.” Jim hauled his belongings up toward the estate. This was his first time seeing it in person, and while he was impressed by the unnecessarily enormous size for a small family of three, the architecture was too.. busy. He thought Doppler’s estate was rather ridiculous, but this topped that. It made him realize how much he missed the simplicity of the Benbow Inn.

Whatever. It wasn’t his decision. As long as he had his own space to tinker in, that’s all that mattered.

“Hey everyone, I’m home.” Jim opened the unlocked door that entered the estate. He could hear the echoes of his call vibrate from the other side of the living room. “Wow, this is quite the place,” he muttered as he threw down his stuff and scanned the pearl-colored living room that was adorned with décor of pastel colors. 

“Jim, my son!” Sarah came running down the stairs with her arms outstretched. She threw herself into a hug and tightly embraced her son. “How was the ride home?” she asked, pulling away to smile at her prodigy. “It was swell,” Jim said very matter of factly. “Where’s William?” 

“Oh, he had to step out a bit to take care of some investors, but he’ll be back before dinner,” Sarah assured him. Jim found himself glad that William wasn’t home, so that he could avoid the awkward small talk. “You hungry?” his mother asked. “I’ll just take a purp,” Jim offered, picking one up that was lying on a fruit platter that served as a centerpiece in the living room. “The ones at the academy aren’t nearly as good as the ones we used to grow around the Benbow.” 

Jim plunked down on the couch, making himself comfortable by putting his feet on the table. “So how ya been, Ma?” he asked with his mouth full. “How’s life as Mrs. Carnegie?”

“Oh, well I’m still the same working mother, Jim. I still go to my regular shift at the Benbow everyday, but, it is nice to not have to worry about putting food on the table once Will comes home. The in-house cook makes really tasty meals!”

“Really! I doubt that. Nothing can top your cooking!”

“Well, give it a try, and you can tell me after.” Sarah winked at her son.

“By the way.” Jim remembered what his mother had sent him on the carriage ride. “You said there was someone you wanted me to meet?” Jim finished the last of the purp and licked his fingers. “Yes, that’s right, Jim! There’s been some big changes since before you came home. I didn’t want to tell you right away, what with your exams and all the focus you’d need, so Will and I agreed to surprise you once you were done!”

“Well, who is it?” He wanted his mother to get to the point.

“Will and I, we’ve adopted a girl. You have a sister now, Jim.”

“Whoa! What?!” Jim nearly knocked off the platter of fruit on the living room table. “Sister!! Since when did you want to have a second?”

“We… we never really thought about wanting a second. It just happened.”

But to Jim, this wasn’t a great answer. _Just like that?_ “But Mom, it’s my life, too! Shouldn’t I get any say in this? I thought you were going to treat me more like a man, and hear my input about things like this?”

“It’s.. actually much more complicated than that, Jim,” Sarah said in a tone as if she were delivering some disappointing news. “You see, the government has asked us to watch over this human girl, who was found lost in the outskirts of the city. No one knows where she’s from or how she got here, but they’re paying us to learn more about her. They want to learn more about where other humans could be living.”

This was too weird. How did they get wrangled into such a mission? “Why us?” he asked. “They were only interested in human families, and you know how there aren’t many here on Montressor. And they knew so much about you and your accomplishments from Treasure Planet, that they called me to come in. The poor thing was found horribly raped, we speculate whoever abandoned her here was her abuser. She looked so sad and confused by her predicament, the mother in me was telling me to take her in, but she seems to be doing a bit better now that she is in a warm home.”

Jim couldn't believe how heavy this topic became, that he blinked twice very fast. He could feel the weight of the conversation press down on his chest as he tried to soak it all in. “Does she have a name?” Jim asked, but Sarah shook her head. “I’m afraid we don’t know it. She won’t say a word, Jim. Poor thing is just too scared. We haven’t really tried to get through to her, as we want to take things slow.”

 _Well, that doesn’t set things up well for introductions._ “Where is she? Can I meet her?” Jim didn’t really care to learn more about this mission. He wouldn’t admit it, but he was a bit… excited by the idea of having a sister. Growing up as a single child, Jim definitely wished he had a sibling to share stories and ideas with. Still, he wished he had been warned ahead of time, so that he could mentally prepare himself as a big brother. Jim was really still a spoiled only child.

But this excitement was weighed down by the girl's traumatic past, and Jim wasn't sure how much of a big brother he could be if she wanted to be closed off.

“She’s upstairs,” Sarah gestured to the ceiling. “Let’s go pay her a visit. You’ve got to be quiet though. She hardly ever leaves the room.” Mother and son stood up from their seats in the living room, and with light footsteps, climbed the spiral staircase. Jim fiddled with the pendulum of an old clock that caused a tapping noise, which Sarah promptly responded to by shushing him. “Sorry,” he apologized. 

They arrived at the girl’s room, with its door shut. Slowly and deliberately, Sarah unlatched the door and creaked it open. She took a peek inside. “She appears to be sleeping,” Sarah whispered. “Want to take a look?” Sarah moved aside and let Jim see his new sister for the first time. The girl had gained a little more weight and even regained some color to her face. As Jim studied her peaceful face, he found she was quite endearing to look at.

But suddenly, her eyelids shot back, and her wide blue eyes were narrowed on Jim while her cherry lips let out a gasp. He had woken her up! She sat up from her bed and used the bed sheets to completely conceal herself before throwing herself back onto the bed. Sarah responded by pulling Jim away. He immediately felt guilty about what he had done. Poor thing just wanted to be left alone, and they had invaded her personal space when she barely even knew them. He knew he would be upset too if someone were to walk in on him like that. After slowly closing the door, Jim turned to face his mother. “You’re right, we gotta take it slow with her. She’s really shy,” Jim acknowledged. Sarah placed a hand on her son’s shoulder. “Thanks for understanding, Jim. I’m sure she’ll come around. We all need time to adjust.” Jim nodded at this. 

“How do you feel, by the way, about all of this? We didn’t want to ask for your thoughts first, because we had to decide quick, and you had your exams to worry about. If the timing had been right, we would have discussed this with you first.”

Jim responded first with a warm smile. “I think what you’re doing is great, Mom - making room in our house for this person who needs a warm place. Sorry for not responding well at first.”

“It’s alright, Jim. I didn’t give you time to prepare, and now suddenly you’ve gained a sister you never asked for.” Sarah hugged her son. “But this is our family now. Four of us. It’s all new, but let’s try to be as happy as we can be, okay?”

“Okay, I will.”


	5. Wendy

William returned home just a few minutes before their dinner would be served. He welcomed Jim with a big hug, which Jim reluctantly gave into. “Son, it’s so wonderful to have you in our new home.” Jim was still not comfortable with Will calling him a son, but he let Will have his way. Soon as Sarah left the two alone to get the Lost Girl ready for dinner, Will did not hesitate to make use of this private moment between stepfather and son. “Look, Jim. I know it must weird for you. You don’t know me very well, and you’re not used to the idea of having a father again, let alone a stranger for a father. But, I’m really looking forward to the two of us spending time together and getting to know each other better this summer while you’re home.”

Jim couldn’t hold his gaze with Will, who sternly held his. “Yeah, uh… you know, I don’t really know what it’s like to have a father, with my real one being away for much of my life. So, appreciate you’re willing to give me some time to warm up to the idea of it.”

“Of course, son. And if you think I’m being too much, just tell me to back off. I want you to see me as your real dad, and that includes not being afraid to tell me if I’ve crossed the line, too.” Will offered a wink. “Okay?” Jim nodded. “So, I was thinking tomorrow, you and I could play a round of golf. Have you ever played?” Jim shook his head. “Uh-uh. Isn’t golf a sport only rich people play?” Will chuckled. “You could say that. But it’s alright, Jim. Golf isn’t hard to pick up. But I won’t go easy on you.”

“Okay boys!” Sarah interrupted the two as she came down the stairs holding the hand of the Lost Girl, who was wearing the laced silk dress Will had bought her. She still looked terribly uncomfortable being in the presence of her new family, and Jim couldn’t help but feel bad that she was an outsider who didn’t ask to be brought here. “Who’s hungry?” Sarah asked. 

“Golly, I sure am!” Will rubbed his belly. “After you.” He let the other three go to the dining room first. Jim followed behind the Lost Girl, who relied on Sarah’s pull to drag her out of her comfort zone. The girl needed to be told to sat down, which she did so timidly. Jim took his place next to her, with Sarah and Will on the opposite end of the table. Using peripheral vision, Jim could see that the girl was so fixated on what was on her lap. She refused to look up. “Hey, don’t be scared. The food is going to be great.” He offered the girl a warm smile, but she didn’t acknowledge him.

For Jim’s welcome back dinner, they requested a variation of Jim’s favorite: Bonzabeast Stew. Only, it was much more fancy than Jim had remembered it. The dish was prepared so cleanly and elegantly on white porcelain plates, and sprinkled with seeds so artfully and aesthetically. The stew was thinner, much more like a soup, and it came with some bread to dip in the soup. He wouldn’t admit it: it was very delicious. “Well, I’m gonna have to get used to this,” Jim groaned somewhat jokingly. Sarah laughed at this, “Jim, this is much better than what I could ever do.” But Jim didn’t need fancy dinners all the time to warm his stomach. “You know, if you ever miss cooking and want to give the cooks a day off, I wouldn’t mind it at all.”

Will chimed in. “Now, Sarah, darling, if you give the cooks a day off, they’ll go mad with nothing else to do! Just ask them to prep something for you however you like it. You got any recipes you can share?” Sarah nodded at this idea enthusiastically. “Certainly! I’ll train them on how Jim likes his Bonzabeast stew!” She turned back to look at Jim to see if his expression changed, but it didn’t. Momentarily, he glanced at the Lost Girl, who was quiet and still as the plant that decorated the dining room. She seemed to be playing with the soup, dipping her spoon in and out, without putting it to her lips. “It’s really good!” Jim tried to encourage her by sipping more of the soup, hoping it would stimulate her appetite, if that was the problem here. The girl broke her stiff gaze on what was in front of her, then looked at Jim with eyes full of wonder and curiosity. “Look.” He ripped off some of the bread and dipped it in the soup to show her how to eat it. “Give it a try.” The girl focused back on her bread and soup, and ripped off a strand of the bread. Lightly, she dipped the strand into the soup before putting it into her mouth to chew, but she didn’t seem at all very amazed by the set up, as her expression didn’t change. Meanwhile, Sarah and Will stopped eating to look at the Lost Girl engage with her meal, to whom she gave no ounce of her attention to.

“Hey, watch this.” Jim picked up the bowl and brought the rim to his mouth, proceeding to slurp in the remainder of the soup. But suddenly, he felt the smooth surface of the bowl slip between his fingers, and the next thing he knew, this fancy Bonzabeast stew completely drenched his best academy uniform. “Ah, shoot…” he moaned, but it was cut very abrupty, for the next thing he heard was very out of the ordinary…laughter. He quickly shot a glance at the Lost Girl – she put a hand to her mouth, but it was no use hiding what was really a very pretty smile. 

“Whoa…” The entire table was taken aback by this, and it didn’t take long for the girl to realize that all the attention on Jim was suddenly back on her again. Suddenly, her smile turned into a gasp as she quickly stood up from her seat. She covered her entire face with her hands, and ran from the table, followed by what they could hear as sobbing. “Oh my gosh, the poor thing, we embarrassed her!” Sarah fretted as she threw down her napkin and rested her head in her hand. “But she laughed, dear!” Will exclaimed, placing a hand on Sarah’s shoulder. “That was a genuine laugh! Good job, Jim. You sure know how to put on a good show!” Will praised. 

Jim blinked, still not quite able to process what had just happened. Shrugging, he responded to Will, “Well, if you say so.” He picked up a napkin and started patting down the brown spots stained by the stew. “Look at it this way: it’s a start. Not a good start, but it’s something.” 

“Perhaps, we shall stage more accidents to get her to laugh again. And my, what a lovely laugh, was it not, dear?” Sarah nodded to this. “Certainly, after all the screaming, I did not expect to hear a sweet laugh. But still, I feel sad that none of us can look at her or even enjoy her company without making her uncomfortable.” Sarah waved down a waiter, signaling to him that they wanted to get the table cleaned up - Jim included. Getting drenched in the stew made him reek of the strong stench that came from the soup; thus, Jim resolved that he needed a good shower.

* * *

After he got that shower he was so looking forward to, Jim strutted out of the bathroom, relishing in his cleanliness. As he made his way back to his new bedroom, he noticed while walking he could hear a familiar sound. A very nostalgic sound.

“ _On the clearest of nights, when the winds of the Etherium were calm and peaceful_ …”

The _Treasure Planet_ book! Forgetting that he was supposed to maintain a distance with the Lost Girl, Jim threw open the door to her room. He clearly scared the wits out of her, as she gasped, threw down the opened book on the ground, and hid underneath her bed. _Shoot._ Jim facepalmed.How much more uncomfortable could he make her? 

“Hey…” he started softly, slowly walking over to his bed, toward the direction of the fallen book. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.” He flipped over the book a couple times to see if it bore any damage from being forcefully thrown. “It’s just, I heard you reading this book. It’s my favorite, you see.” He closed it back up and crouched down to meet the Lost Girl at eye level, then slid the book to her. “You can keep reading,” Jim encouraged. “It’s a really good book. I used to read it every night when I was small.” But the Lost Girl pushed the book back to him, which Jim interpreted as rejection. “Well, alright.” Jim accepted his defeat. “I promise you, it’s really good,” he spoke in a tone as if to say ‘you’ll be sorry’. 

Suddenly, Jim’s lightbulb lit up. He had an idea. 

He took a seat on the floor and flipped the book back to the beginning where she left off. He let the narrator do the talking, while he showed her the moving holographic illustrations that captured the story. 

“ _And the most feared of all these pirates, was the notorious Captain Flint_.” 

Suddenly, and to Jim’s amazement, the girl quickly crawled out from underneath the bed. The wide-eyed look she wore bore entrancement with the holographic story as she drew closer to where Jim sat. Still, she said nothing.

As the holograph showed cannons from Flint’s ship tearing into their target ship, Jim couldn’t help but let the wave of nostalgia fill him with chills and memories of his childhood – a time when anything seemed possible, when he had an insatiable drive to do what seemed impossible, and also a time when he didn’t know anything about abandonment or betrayal. He knew that he was in a better place now, mind and body, but they would never be the same as when he was just a small lad. 

Jim pushed the book closer to the girl, who would not take her eyes off the moving page. It had been a long time since Jim read this book, and he was blown away by how surreal it still felt, even when he got to see the real thing. “It’s way cooler in person, by the way,” Jim told the girl. “I got to see it myself. Maybe I could tell you about it one of these days.” To Jim’s surprise, the girl nodded, wearing a tiny smile, one marked with only a small ounce of excitement. “Alright, why don’t we say tomorrow, huh?” Jim suggested, closing the book and leaving it on the girl’s nightstand. “You can keep it, and read it all you want,” he offered. 

He felt terribly awkward that he was doing all the talking, that he couldn’t hold his gaze with the girl, who continued to stare at him. It wasn’t a piercing stare, but one marked by blankness, to which Jim couldn’t understand why this girl’s behavior was so volatile. He broke the silence by clearing his throat first. “Well, goodnight,” he said very matter of factly as he turned on his heel to exit the girl’s room.

_“Wendy.”_

The voice came from behind him. Just when he swung the door open and looked back, the light from the hall shone on the Lost Girl, whose cherry lips opened up. “My name is Wendy.”

Jim was lost for words. He couldn’t believe it – he got her to talk! If it weren’t late, he’d run to his mother and William and tell them of the breakthrough, but they were all in bed at this point; yet still, he had to curb his excitement for what he thought he could not accomplish. “Nice to meet ya, Wendy. I’m Jim,” was all he could say with a soft smile, before he shut her door and headed for his room.


End file.
